Mazda’s K series of compact and low-displacement V6 engines is a great way to go if you want six cylinders but need a light and small unit for a small car, like a classic Vauxhall Viva. It won’t turn your car into a monster, but it’s certainly going to be much powerful than what it originally had.
This Vauxhall Viva, a product of New Zealand car culture done on the cheap, sounds like a superb little runabout. It’s got the biggest of the Mazda K V6 engines, the 2.5-liter, and it’s been thoroughly worked over to take the extra power.
The V6 wasn’t the first engine to get swapped in, as it was preceded by an old Ford 1.6-liter, then an old rotary and finally the unit it has now.
Matt Farah got to drive it on beautifully scenic Kiwi roads, and his take on it is in the video below.